Expert: Socrates - 7/27/2006

Question
This is a simple question. I am studying mathematics on my own at the undergraduate level. Not having access to a teacher, only texts and study guides, I ask the following simple ( I hope not to simple for your time):

What is the proper notation for hand written vectors: arrows, underlines, squiggly underlines? or none at all? Someone suggested that the modern tendency is to ignore these. Is one method the most standardised? Is it necessary to write unit vectors with the ^ symbol. I am fussy about deals and want to have the standard way of writing my maths.

Answer
As far as I know , there is not one single standard notation for vectors. The notation I see most often to indicate a vector is an arrow above a letter or just a letter in bold face. This will distinguish the vector from a scalar. Anyone familiar with vectors will understand if you use either of these notations.